CONTEXT
Each year, the Farm Progress Show (FPS) connects hundreds of exhibitors with thousands of farmers and showcases the year’s most innovative equipment, services, and breakthroughs in the world of agriculture. It’s the nation’s largest outdoor farm event with over 600 exhibitors and a rare opportunity for large companies to interact directly with growers and provides a significant opening to inspire customer loyalty in a casual setting. As a global leader in nutrition and one of the world’s largest food processing and commodities companies, ADM wanted to make a splash at the 2021 show – and in partnership with Touch, they did just that. The goal? To reflect and reinforce their commitment, value, and expertise as a thought leader in innovation and sustainability, with customers and policymakers alike. Our team provided end-to-end support for everything from strategy and content development to design, fabrication, and production. Although attendance numbers were down from previous years, guest engagement was up thanks to strategic planning, deliberate designs, and compelling storytelling.

OUR APPROACH
In late summer of 2021, the Farm Progress Show took place in Decatur, Illinois, and was ADM’s first in-person event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We knew that a successful outcome for the company’s presence at the show would be contingent on layers upon layers of backup plans, so from the get-go the Touch team worked alongside ADM stakeholders to strategically prepare for every possible scenario. We prioritized developing a real-time COVID mitigation plan, and considered the limitations we would be up against due to the nationwide labor shortage, rising material prices, unreliable product availability, and delays in scheduling and transportation.  

Once this pre-work was done and we were armed with several game plans, we were able to make informed decisions about vendor estimates, realistic fabrication deadlines, workback schedules, and more. For the show, we created approximately 15,000 square feet of beautiful, tented event space, leveraging a visual identity and visual language consistent with the ADM brand but developed specifically for the Farm Progress Show.  

The first and largest tent shared the company’s history and purpose and was home to various exhibits showcasing where you might see ADM products in everyday life – with everything from plant-based proteins like veggie burgers to the spearmint and peppermint oils found in most toothpaste. It included a living wall of plants and greenery, and ADM employees were on-site to hand out branded collectibles and encourage attendees to enter a raffle. The second tent was tailored more to ADM’s producer and farmer audience, hosting informal spaces for meetings with business leaders from the company’s Grains department, Animal Nutrition division, or Crop Risk Services team (among others). These public-facing tents experienced significant foot traffic, from the casual passerby to the informed farmer seeking a dialogue about current crop yields and pricing.   

The third tent provided smaller breakout spaces for focused meetings such as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) group, plus an auditorium with a raised stage and seating for 200. Every morning local radio host Brian Byers broadcasted his morning radio show from the ADM executive conference room we created, while the adjoining theater hosted a Congressional Summit led by members of the House of Representatives Biofuels Caucus. A colorful conversation transpired in a panel-like format, followed by a live audience Q&A and a small press conference.  

It was this type of experiential design and attention to detail that kept attendees engaged with the ADM space longer – asking questions, talking and networking with staff, and ultimately coming away with a more profound understanding of ADM and their business model, shared history, priorities, and values. The client was impressed with how we magnified their presence at the show, and delighted by the positive feedback from their audiences.